1. The state of being a widow; the time during which a woman is widow; also, rarely, the state of being a widower. Johnson clung to her memory during a widowhood of more than thirty years. Leslie Stephen.
2. Estate settled on a widow. [Obs.] "I 'll assure her of her widowhood . . . in all my lands." Shak.
WIDOW-HUNTERWid"ow-hunt`er, n.
Defn: One who courts widows, seeking to marry one with a fortune.Addison.
WIDOWLYWid"ow*ly, a.
Defn: Becoming or like a widow.
WIDOW-MAKERWid"ow-mak`er, n.
Defn: One who makes widows by destroying husbands. [R.] Shak.
WIDOW-WAILWid"ow-wail`, n. (Bot.)
Defn: A low, narrowleaved evergreen shrub (Cneorum tricoccon) found in Southern Europe.
WIDTHWidth, n. Etym: [From Wide.]
Defn: The quality of being wide; extent from side to side; breadth; wideness; as, the width of cloth; the width of a door.
WIDUALWid"u*al, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to a widow; vidual. [Obs.] Bale.
WIDWEWid"we, n.
Defn: A widow. [Obs.] Chaucer.
WIELD Wield, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wielded; p. pr. & vb. n. Wielding.] Etym: [OE. welden to govern, to have power over, to possess, AS. geweldan, gewyldan, from wealdan; akin to OS. waldan, OFries. walda, G. walten, OHG. waltan, Icel. valda, Sw. vålla to occasion, to cause, Dan. volde, Goth. waldan to govern, rule, L. valere to be strong. Cf. Herald, Valiant.]
1. To govern; to rule; to keep, or have in charge; also, to possess. [Obs.] When a strong armed man keepeth his house, all things that he wieldeth ben in peace. Wyclif (Luke xi. 21). Wile [ne will] ye wield gold neither silver ne money in your girdles. Wyclif (Matt. x. 9.)
2. To direct or regulate by influence or authority; to manage; to control; to sway. The famous orators . . . whose resistless eloquence Wielded at will that fierce democraty. Milton. Her newborn power was wielded from the first by unprincipled and ambitions men. De Quincey.
3. To use with full command or power, as a thing not too heavy for the holder; to manage; to handle; hence, to use or employ; as, to wield a sword; to wield the scepter. Base Hungarian wight! wilt thou the spigot wield! Shak. Part wield their arms, part curb the foaming steed. Milton. Nothing but the influence of a civilized power could induce a savage to wield a spade. S. S. Smith. To wield the scepter, to govern with supreme command.
WIELDABLEWield"a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being wielded.
WIELDANCEWield"ance, n.
Defn: The act or power of wielding. [Obs.] "Our weak wieldance." Bp.Hall.
WIELDERWield"er, n.
Defn: One who wields or employs; a manager; a controller.A wielder of the great arm of the war. Milton.
WIELDINGWield"ing, n.
Defn: Power; authority; rule. [Obs.]To have them in your might and in your wielding. Chaucer.
WIELDLESSWield"less, a.
Defn: Not to be wielded; unmanageable; unwieldy. [R.] "Wieldless might." Spenser.
WIELDSOMEWield"some, a.
Defn: Admitting of being easily wielded or managed. [Obs.] Golding.
WIELDYWield"y, a.
Defn: Capable of being wielded; manageable; wieldable; — opposed to unwieldy. [R.] Johnson.
WIENER SCHNITZELWie"ner Schnit"zel. [G., Vienna cutlet.]
Defn: A veal cutlet variously seasoned garnished, often with lemon, sardines, and capers.
WIERWier, n.
Defn: Same as Weir.
WIERANGLEWier`an"gle, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Same as Wariangle. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
WIERYWier"y, a. Etym: [Cf. Wearish.]
Defn: Wet; moist; marshy. [Obs.]
WIERYWi"er*y, a. Etym: [From Wire; cf. Fiery.]
Defn: Wiry. [Obs.] "Wiery gold." Peacham.
WIFE Wife, n.; pl; Wives. Etym: [OE. wif, AS. wif; akin to OFries. & OS. wif, D. wijf, G. weib, OHG. wib, Icel. vif, Dan. viv; and perhaps to Skr. vip excited, agitated, inspired, vip to tremble, L. vibrare to vibrate, E. vibrate. Cf. Tacitus, [" Germania" 8]: Inesse quin etiam sanctum aliquid et providum putant, nec aut consilia earum aspernantur aut responsa neglegunt. Cf. Hussy a jade, Woman.]
1. A woman; an adult female; — now used in literature only in certain compounds and phrases, as alewife, fishwife, goodwife, and the like. " Both men and wives." Piers Plowman. On the green he saw sitting a wife. Chaucer.
2. The lawful consort of a man; a woman who is united to a man in wedlock; a woman who has a husband; a married woman; — correlative of husband. " The husband of one wife." 1 Tin. iii. 2. Let every one you . . . so love his wife even as himself, and the wife see that she reverence her husband. Eph. v. 33. To give to wife, To take to wife, to give or take (a woman) in marriage. — Wife's equity (Law), the equitable right or claim of a married woman to a reasonable and adequate provision, by way of settlement or otherwise, out of her choses in action, or out of any property of hers which is under the jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery, for the support of herself and her children. Burrill.
WIFEHOODWife"hood, n. Etym: [AS. wifhad.]
1. Womanhood. [Obs.] Chaucer.
2. The state of being a wife; the character of a wife.
WIFELESSWife"less, a.
Defn: Without a wife; unmarried. Chaucer.
WIFELIKEWife"like`, a.
Defn: Of, pertaining to, or like, a wife or a woman. " Wifelike government." Shak.
WIFELYWife"ly, a. Etym: [AS. wiflic.]
Defn: Becoming or life; of or pertaining to a wife. "Wifelypatience." Chaucer.With all the tenderness of wifely love. Dryden.
WIGWig, n. Etym: [Abbreviation from periwig.]
1. A covering for the head, consisting of hair interwoven or united by a kind of network, either in imitation of the natural growth, or in abundant and flowing curls, worn to supply a deficiency of natural hair, or for ornament, or according to traditional usage, as a part of an official or professional dress, the latter especially in England by judges and barristers.
2. An old seal; — so called by fishermen. Wig tree. (Bot.) See Smoke tree, under Smoke.
WIGWig, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wigged; p. pr. & vb. n. Wigging.]
Defn: To censure or rebuke; to hold up to reprobation; to scold.[Slang]
WIGANWig"an, n.
Defn: A kind of canvaslike cotton fabric, used to stiffen and protect the lower part of trousers and of the skirts of women's dresses, etc.; — so called from Wigan, the name of a town in Lancashire, England.
WIGEONWi"geon, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A widgeon. [R.]
WIGG; WIG Wigg, Wig, n. Etym: [Cf. D. wegge a sort of bread, G. weck, orig., a wedge-shaped loaf or cake. See Wedge.]
Defn: A kind of raised seedcake. "Wiggs and ale." Pepys.
WIGGEDWigged
Defn: , a. Having the head covered with a wig; wearing a wig.
WIGGERYWig"ger*y, n.
1. A wig or wigs; false hair. [R.] A. Trollope.
2. Any cover or screen, as red-tapism. [R.] Fire peels the wiggeries away from them [facts.] Carlyle.
WIGGLEWig"gle, v. t. & i. Etym: [Cf. Wag, v. t., Waggle.]
Defn: To move to and fro with a quick, jerking motion; to bend rapidly, or with a wavering motion, from side to side; to wag; to squirm; to wriggle; as, the dog wiggles his tail; the tadpole wiggles in the water. [Prov. Eng. & Colloq. U. S.]
WIGGLEWig"gle, n.
Defn: Act of wiggling; a wriggle. [Colloq.]
WIGGLERWig"gler, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The young, either larva or pupa, of the mosquito; — called also wiggletail.
WIGHERWig"her, v. i. Etym: [Cf. G. wiehern, E. whine.]
Defn: To neigh; to whinny. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.
WIGHTWight, n.
Defn: Weight. [Obs.]
WIGHT Wight, n. Etym: [OE. wight, wiht, a wight, a whit, AS. wiht, wuht, a creature, a thing; skin to D. wicht a child, OS. & OHG. wiht a creature, thing, G. wicht a creature, Icel. vætt a wight, vætt a whit, Goth. waíhts, waíht, thing; cf. Russ. veshche a thing. Whit.]
1. A whit; a bit; a jot. [Obs.] She was fallen asleep a little wight. Chaucer.
2. A supernatural being. [Obs.] Chaucer.
3. A human being; a person, either male or female; — now used chiefly in irony or burlesque, or in humorous language. "Worst of all wightes." Chaucer. Every wight that hath discretion. Chaucer. Oh, say me true if thou wert mortal wight. Milton.
WIGHTWight, a. Etym: [OE. wight, wiht, probably of Scand. origin; cf.Icel. vigr in fighting condition, neut. vigh war, akin to AS. wig SeeVanquish.]
Defn: Swift; nimble; agile; strong and active. [Obs. or Poetic]'T is full wight, God wot, as is a roe. Chaucer.He was so wimble and so wight. Spenser.They were Night and Day, and Day and Night, Pilgrims wight with stepsforthright. Emerson.
WIGHTLYWight"ly, adv.
Defn: Swiftly; nimbly; quickly. [Obs.]
WIGLESSWig"less, a.
Defn: Having or wearing no wig.
WIGWAGWig"wag`, v. i. Etym: [See Wag, v. t.] (Naut.)
Defn: To signal by means of a flag waved from side to side according to a code adopted for the purpose. [Colloq.]
WIGWAM Wig"wam, n. Etym: [From the Algonquin or Massachusetts Indian word wek, "his house," or "dwelling place;" with possessive and locative affixes, we-kou-om-ut, "in his (or their) house," contracted by the English to weekwam, and wigwam.]
Defn: An Indian cabin or hut, usually of a conical form, and made of a framework of poles covered with hides, bark, or mats; — called also tepee. [Sometimes written also weekwam.] Very spacious was the wigwam, Made of deerskin dressed and whitened, With the gods of the Dacotahs Drawn and painted on its curtains. Longfellow.
Note: "The wigwam, or Indian house, of a circular or oval shape, was made of bark or mats laid over a framework of branches of trees stuck in the ground in such a manner as to converge at the top, where was a central aperture for the escape of smoke from the fire beneath. The better sort had also a lining of mats. For entrance and egress, two low openings were left on opposite sides, one or the other of which was closed with bark or mats, according to the direction of the wind." Palfrey.
WIKEWike, n.
Defn: A temporary mark or boundary, as a bough of a tree set up in marking out or dividing anything, as tithes, swaths to be mowed in common ground, etc.; — called also wicker. [Prov. Eng.]
WIKEWike, n. Etym: [AS. wic. See Wick a village.]
Defn: A home; a dwelling. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
WIKIUP Wik"i*up`, n. [Of North American Indian origin; cf. Dakota wakeya, wokeya.]
Defn: The hut used by the nomadic Indian tribes of the arid regions of the west and southwest United States, typically elliptical in form, with a rough frame covered with reed mats or grass or brushwood.
WIKKEWik"ke, a.
Defn: Wicked. [Obs.] Chaucer.
WILD Wild, a. [Compar. Wilder; superl. Wildest.] Etym: [OE. wilde, AS. wilde; akin to OFries. wilde, D. wild, OS. & OHG. wildi, G. wild, Sw. & Dan. vild, Icel. villr wild, bewildered, astray, Goth. wilpeis wild, and G. & OHG. wild game, deer; of uncertain origin.]
1. Living in a state of nature; inhabiting natural haunts, as the forest or open field; not familiar with, or not easily approached by, man; not tamed or domesticated; as, a wild boar; a wild ox; a wild cat. Winter's not gone yet, if the wild geese fly that way. Shak.
2. Growing or produced without culture; growing or prepared without the aid and care of man; native; not cultivated; brought forth by unassisted nature or by animals not domesticated; as, wild parsnip, wild camomile, wild strawberry, wild honey. The woods and desert caves, With wild thyme and gadding vine o'ergrown. Milton.
3. Desert; not inhabited or cultivated; as, wild land. "To trace the forests wild." Shak.
4. Savage; uncivilized; not refined by culture; ferocious; rude; as, wild natives of Africa or America.
5. Not submitted to restraint, training, or regulation; turbulent; tempestuous; violent; ungoverned; licentious; inordinate; disorderly; irregular; fanciful; imaginary; visionary; crazy. "Valor grown wild by pride." Prior. "A wild, speculative project." Swift. What are these So withered and so wild in their attire Shak. With mountains, as with weapons, armed; which makes Wild work in heaven. Milton. The wild winds howl. Addison. Search then the ruling passion, there, alone The wild are constant, and the cunning known. Pope.
6. Exposed to the wind and sea; unsheltered; as, a wild roadstead.
7. Indicating strong emotion, intense excitement, or as, a wild look.
8. (Naut.)
Defn: Hard to steer; — said of a vessel.
Note: Many plants are named by prefixing wild to the names of other better known or cultivated plants to which they a bear a real or fancied resemblance; as, wild allspice, wild pink, etc. See the Phrases below.
To run wild, to go unrestrained or untamed; to live or untamed; to live or grow without culture or training. — To sow one's wild oats. See under Oat. Wild allspice. (Bot.), spicewood. — Wild balsam apple (Bot.), an American climbing cucurbitaceous plant (Echinocystis lobata). — Wild basil (Bot.), a fragrant labiate herb (Calamintha Clinopodium) common in Europe and America. — Wild bean (Bot.), a name of several leguminous plants, mostly species of Phaseolus and Apios. — Wild bee (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of undomesticated social bees, especially the domestic bee when it has escaped from domestication and built its nest in a hollow tree or among rocks. — Wild bergamot. (Bot.) See under Bergamot. — Wild boar (Zoöl.), the European wild hog (Sus scrofa), from which the common domesticated swine is descended. — Wild brier (Bot.), any uncultivated species of brier. See Brier. — Wild bugloss (Bot.), an annual rough-leaved plant (Lycopsis arvensis) with small blue flowers. — Wild camomile (Bot.), one or more plants of the composite genus Matricaria, much resembling camomile. — Wild cat. (Zoöl.) (a) A European carnivore (Felis catus) somewhat resembling the domestic cat, but larger stronger, and having a short tail. It is destructive to the smaller domestic animals, such as lambs, kids, poultry, and the like. (b) The common American lynx, or bay lynx. (c) (Naut.) A wheel which can be adjusted so as to revolve either with, or on, the shaft of a capstan. Luce. — Wild celery. (Bot.) See Tape grass, under Tape. — Wild cherry. (Bot.) (a) Any uncultivated tree which bears cherries. The wild red cherry is Prunus Pennsylvanica. The wild black cherry is P. serotina, the wood of which is much used for cabinetwork, being of a light red color and a compact texture. (b) The fruit of various species of Prunus. — Wild cinnamon. See the Note under Canella. — Wild comfrey (Bot.), an American plant (Cynoglossum Virginicum) of the Borage family. It has large bristly leaves and small blue flowers. — Wild cumin (Bot.), an annual umbelliferous plant (Lagoecia cuminoides) native in the countries about the Mediterranean. — Wild drake (Zoöl.) the mallard. — Wild elder (Bot.), an American plant (Aralia hispida) of the Ginseng family. — Wild fowl (Zoöl.) any wild bird, especially any of those considered as game birds. — Wild goose (Zoöl.), any one of several species of undomesticated geese, especially the Canada goose (Branta Canadensis), the European bean goose, and the graylag. See Graylag, and Bean goose, under Bean. — Wild goose chase, the pursuit of something unattainable, or of something as unlikely to be caught as the wild goose. Shak. — Wild honey, honey made by wild bees, and deposited in trees, rocks, the like. — Wild hyacinth. (Bot.) See Hyacinth, 1 (b). Wild Irishman (Bot.), a thorny bush (Discaria Toumatou) of the Buckthorn family, found in New Zealand, where the natives use the spines in tattooing. — Wild land. (a) Land not cultivated, or in a state that renders it unfit for cultivation. (b) Land which is not settled and cultivated. — Wild licorice. (Bot.) See under Licorice. — Wild mammee (Bot.), the oblong, yellowish, acid fruit of a tropical American tree (Rheedia lateriflora); — so called in the West Indies. — Wild marjoram (Bot.), a labiate plant (Origanum vulgare) much like the sweet marjoram, but less aromatic. — Wild oat. (Bot.) (a) A tall, oatlike kind of soft grass (Arrhenatherum avenaceum). (b) See Wild oats, under Oat. — Wild pieplant (Bot.), a species of dock (Rumex hymenosepalus) found from Texas to California. Its acid, juicy stems are used as a substitute for the garden rhubarb. — Wild pigeon. (Zoöl.) (a) The rock dove. (b) The passenger pigeon. — Wild pink (Bot.), an American plant (Silene Pennsylvanica) with pale, pinkish flowers; a kind of catchfly. — Wild plantain (Bot.), an arborescent endogenous herb (Heliconia Bihai), much resembling the banana. Its leaves and leaf sheaths are much used in the West Indies as coverings for packages of merchandise. — Wild plum. (Bot.) (a) Any kind of plum growing without cultivation. (b) The South African prune. See under Prune. — Wild rice. (Bot.) See Indian rice, under Rice. — Wild rosemary (Bot.), the evergreen shrub Andromeda polifolia. See Marsh rosemary, under Rosemary. — Wild sage. (Bot.) See Sagebrush. — Wild sarsaparilla (Bot.), a species of ginseng (Aralia nudicaulis) bearing a single long-stalked leaf. — Wild sensitive plant (Bot.), either one of two annual leguminous herbs (Cassia Chamæcrista, and C. nictitans), in both of which the leaflets close quickly when the plant is disturbed. — Wild service.(Bot.) See Sorb. — Wild Spaniard (Bot.), any one of several umbelliferous plants of the genus Aciphylla, natives of New Zealand. The leaves bear numerous bayonetlike spines, and the plants form an impenetrable thicket. — Wild turkey. (Zoöl.) See 2d Turkey.
WILDWild, n.
Defn: An uninhabited and uncultivated tract or region; a forest or desert; a wilderness; a waste; as, the wilds of America; the wilds of Africa. then Libya first, of all her moisture drained, Became a barren waste, a wild of sand. Addison.
WILDWild, adv.
Defn: Wildly; as, to talk wild. Shak.
WILD-CATWild"-cat`, a.
1. Unsound; worthless; irresponsible; unsafe; — said to have been originally applied to the notes of an insolvent bank in Michigan upon which there was the figure of a panther.
2. (Railroad)
Defn: Running without control; running along the line without a train; as, a wild-cat locomotive.
WILDEBEESTWilde"beest`, n. Etym: [D. wild wild + beeste beast.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The gnu.
WILDEDWild"ed, a.
Defn: Become wild. [R.]An old garden plant escaped and wilded. J. Earle.
WILDERWil"der, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wildered; p. pr. & vb. n. Wildering.]Etym: [Akin to E. wild, Dan. forvilde to bewilder, Icel. villrbewildered, villa to bewilder; cf. AS. wildor a wild animal. SeeWild, a., and cf. Wilderness.]
Defn: To bewilder; to perplex.Long lost and wildered in the maze of fate. Pope.Again the wildered fancy dreams Of spouting fountains, frozen as theyrose. Bryant.
WILDERINGWild"er*ing, n. (Bot.)
Defn: A plant growing in a state of nature; especially, one which has run wild, or escaped from cultivation.
WILDERMENTWil"der*ment, n.
Defn: The state of being bewildered; confusion; bewilderment. And snatched her breathless from beneath This wilderment of wreck and death. Moore.
WILDERNESS Wil"der*ness, n. Etym: [OE. wildernesse, wilderne,probably from AS. wildor a wild beast; cf. D. wildernis wilderness. See Wilder, v. t.]
1. A tract of land, or a region, uncultivated and uninhabited by human beings, whether a forest or a wide, barren plain; a wild; a waste; a desert; a pathless waste of any kind. The wat'ry wilderness yields no supply. Waller.
2. A disorderly or neglected place. Cowper.
3. Quality or state of being wild; wildness. [Obs.] These paths and bowers doubt not but our joint hands. Will keep from wilderness with ease. Milton.
WILDFIREWild"fire, n.
1. A composition of inflammable materials, which, kindled, is very hard to quench; Greek fire. Brimstone, pitch, wildfire . . . burn cruelly, and hard to quench. Bacon.
2. (Med.) (a) An old name for erysipelas. (b) A disease of sheep, attended with inflammation of the skin.
3. A sort of lightning unaccompanied by thunder. [R.]
WILDGRAVEWild"grave`, n. Etym: [G. wildgraf or D. wildgraaf. See Wild, and cf.Margrave.]
Defn: A waldgrave, or head forest keeper. See Waldgrave.The wildgrave winds his bugle horn. Sir W. Scott.
WILDINGWild"ing, n. (Bot.)
Defn: A wild or uncultivated plant; especially, a wild apple tree or crab apple; also, the fruit of such a plant. Spenser. Ten ruddy wildings in the wood I found. Dryden. The fruit of the tree . . . is small, of little juice, and bad quality. I presume it to be a wilding. Landor.
WILDINGWild"ing, a.
Defn: Not tame, domesticated, or cultivated; wild. [Poetic] "Wildingflowers." Tennyson.The ground squirrel gayly chirps by his den, And the wilding bee humsmerrily by. Bryant.
WILDISHWild"ish, a.
Defn: Somewhat wild; rather wild. "A wildish destiny." Wordsworth.
WILDLYWild"ly, adv.
Defn: In a wild manner; without cultivation; with disorder; rudely; distractedly; extravagantly.
WILDNESSWild"ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being wild; an uncultivated or untamed state; disposition to rove or go unrestrained; rudeness; savageness; irregularity; distraction.
WILDWOODWild"wood, n.
Defn: A wild or unfrequented wood. Also used adjectively; as, wildwood flowers; wildwood echoes. Burns.
WILEWile, n. Etym: [OE. wile, AS. wil; cf. Icel. v, væl. Cf. Guile.]
Defn: A trick or stratagem practiced for insnaring or deception; a sly, insidious; artifice; a beguilement; an allurement. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Eph. vi. 11. Not more almighty to resist our might, Than wise to frustrate all our plots and wiles. Milton.
WILEWile, v. t.
1. To practice artifice upon; to deceive; to beguile; to allure. [R.] Spenser.
2. To draw or turn away, as by diversion; to while or while away; to cause to pass pleasantly. Tennyson.
WILEFULWile"ful, a.
Defn: Full of wiles; trickish; deceitful.
WILFLEY TABLEWil"fley ta`ble. (Ore Dressing)
Defn: An inclined percussion table, usually with longitudinal grooves in its surface, agitated by side blows at right angles to the flow of the pulp; — so called after the inventor.
WILFUL; WILFULLY; WILFULNESSWil"ful, a., Wil"ful*ly, adv., Wil"ful*ness, n.
Defn: See Willful, Willfully, and Willfulness.
WILINESSWi"li*ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being wily; craftiness; cunning; guile.
WILKWilk, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: See Whelk. [Obs.]
WILLWill, n. Etym: [OE. wille, AS. willa; akin to OFries. willa, OS.willeo, willio, D. wil, G. wille, Icel. vili, Dan. villie, Sw. vilja,Goth wilja. See Will, v.]
1. The power of choosing; the faculty or endowment of the soul by which it is capable of choosing; the faculty or power of the mind by which we decide to do or not to do; the power or faculty of preferring or selecting one of two or more objects. It is necessary to form a distinct notion of what is meant by the word "volition" in order to understand the import of the word will, for this last word expresses the power of mind of which "volition" is the act. Stewart. Will is an ambiguous word, being sometimes put for the faculty of willing; sometimes for the act of that faculty, besides [having] other meanings. But "volition" always signifies the act of willing, and nothing else. Reid. Appetite is the will's solicitor, and the will is appetite's controller; what we covet according to the one, by the other we often reject. Hooker. The will is plainly that by which the mind chooses anything. J. Edwards.
2. The choice which is made; a determination or preference which results from the act or exercise of the power of choice; a volition. The word "will," however, is not always used in this its proper acceptation, but is frequently substituted for "volition", as when I say that my hand mover in obedience to my will. Stewart.
3. The choice or determination of one who has authority; a decree; a command; discretionary pleasure. Thy will be done. Matt. vi. 10. Our prayers should be according to the will of God. Law.
4. Strong wish or inclination; desire; purpose.
Note: "Inclination is another word with which will is frequently confounded. Thus, when the apothecary says, in Romeo and Juliet, — My poverty, but not my will, consents; . . . Put this in any liquid thing you will, And drink it off. the word will is plainly used as, synonymous with inclination; not in the strict logical sense, as the immediate antecedent of action. It is with the same latitude that the word is used in common conversation, when we speak of doing a thing which duty prescribes, against one's own will; or when we speak of doing a thing willingly or unwillingly." Stewart.
5. That which is strongly wished or desired. What's your will, good friar Shak. The mariner hath his will. Coleridge.
6. Arbitrary disposal; power to control, dispose, or determine. Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies. Ps. xxvii. 12.
7 7 (Law)
Defn: The legal declaration of a person's mind as to the manner in which he would have his property or estate disposed of after his death; the written instrument, legally executed, by which a man makes disposition of his estate, to take effect after his death; testament; devise. See the Note under Testament, 1.
Note: Wills are written or nuncupative, that is, oral. See Nuncupative will, under Nuncupative. At will (Law), at pleasure. To hold an estate at the will of another, is to enjoy the possession at his pleasure, and be liable to be ousted at any time by the lessor or proprietor. An estate at will is at the will of both parties. — Good will. See under Good. — Ill will, enmity; unfriendliness; malevolence. — To have one's will, to obtain what is desired; to do what one pleases. — Will worship, worship according to the dictates of the will or fancy; formal worship. [Obs.] — Will worshiper, one who offers will worship. [Obs.] Jer. Taylor. — With a will, with willingness and zeal; with all one's heart or strength; earnestly; heartily.
WILL Will, v. t. & auxiliary. [imp. Would. Indic. present, I will (Obs. I wol), thou wilt, he will (Obs. he wol); we, ye, they will.] Etym: [OE. willen, imp. wolde; akin to OS. willan, OFries. willa, D. willen, G. wollen, OHG. wollan, wellan, Icel. & Sw. vilja, Dan. ville, Goth. wiljan, OSlav. voliti, L. velle to wish, volo I wish; cf. Skr. vrs to choose, to prefer. Cf. Voluntary, Welcome, Well, adv.]
1. To wish; to desire; to incline to have. A wife as of herself no thing ne sholde [should] Wille in effect, but as her husband wolde [would]. Chaucer. Caleb said unto her, What will thou Judg. i. 14. They would none of my counsel. Prov. i. 30.
2. As an auxiliary, will is used to denote futurity dependent on the verb. Thus, in first person, "I will" denotes willingness, consent, promise; and when "will" is emphasized, it denotes determination or fixed purpose; as, I will go if you wish; I will go at all hazards. In the second and third persons, the idea of distinct volition, wish, or purpose is evanescent, and simple certainty is appropriately expressed; as, "You will go," or "He will go," describes a future event as a fact only. To emphasize will denotes (according to the tone or context) certain futurity or fixed determination.
Note: Will, auxiliary, may be used elliptically for will go. "I'll to her lodgings." Marlowe.
Note: As in shall (which see), the second and third persons may be virtually converted into the first, either by question or indirect statement, so as to receive the meaning which belongs to will in that person; thus, "Will you go" (answer, "I will go") asks assent, requests, etc.; while "Will he go" simply inquires concerning futurity; thus, also,"He says or thinks he will go," "You say or think you will go," both signify willingness or consent.
Note: Would, as the preterit of will, is chiefly employed in conditional, subjunctive, or optative senses; as, he would go if he could; he could go if he would; he said that he would go; I would fain go, but can not; I would that I were young again; and other like phrases. In the last use, the first personal pronoun is often omitted; as, would that he were here; would to Heaven that it were so; and, omitting the to in such an adjuration. "Would God I had died for thee." Would is used for both present and future time, in conditional propositions, and would have for past time; as, he would go now if he were ready; if it should rain, he would not go; he would have gone, had he been able. Would not, as also will not, signifies refusal. "He was angry, and would not go in." Luke xv. 28. Would is never a past participle.
Note: In Ireland, Scotland, and the United States, especially in the southern and western portions of the United States, shall and will, should and would, are often misused, as in the following examples: — I am able to devote as much time and attention to other subjects as I will [shall] be under the necessity of doing next winter. Chalmers. A countryman, telling us what he had seen, remarked that if the conflagration went on, as it was doing, we would [should] have, as our next season's employment, the Old Town of Edinburgh to rebuild. H. Miller. I feel assured that I will [shall] not have the misfortune to find conflicting views held by one so enlightened as your excellency. J. Y. Mason.
WILLWill, v. i.
Defn: To be willing; to be inclined or disposed; to be pleased; to wish; to desire. And behold, there came a leper and worshiped him, saying, Lord if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus . . . touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. Matt. viii. 2, 3.
Note: This word has been confused with will, v. i., to choose, which, unlike this, is of the weak conjugation. Will I, nill I, or Will ye, hill ye, or Will he, nill he, whether I, you, or he will it or not; hence, without choice; compulsorily; — sometimes corrupted into willy nilly. "If I must take service willy nilly." J. H. Newman. "Land for all who would till it, and reading and writing will ye, nill ye." Lowell.
WILLWill, v. t. [imp. & p. p Willed; p. pr. & vb. n. Willing. Indic.present I will, thou willeth, he wills; we, ye, they will.] Etym:[Cf. AS. willian. See Will, n.]
1. To form a distinct volition of; to determine by an act of choice; to ordain; to decree. "What she will to do or say." Milton. By all law and reason, that which the Parliament will not, is no more established in this kingdom. Milton. Two things he [God] willeth, that we should be good, and that we should be happy. Barrow.
2. To enjoin or command, as that which is determined by an act of volition; to direct; to order. [Obs. or R.] They willed me say so, madam. Shak. Send for music, And will the cooks to use their best of cunning To please the palate. Beau. & Fl. As you go, will the lord mayor . . . To attend our further pleasure presently. J. Webster.
3. To give or direct the disposal of by testament; to bequeath; to devise; as, to will one's estate to a child; also, to order or direct by testament; as, he willed that his nephew should have his watch.
WILLWill, v. i.
Defn: To exercise an act of volition; to choose; to decide; to determine; to decree. At Winchester he lies, so himself willed. Robert of Brunne. He that shall turn his thoughts inward upon what passes in his own mind when he wills. Locke. I contend for liberty as it signifies a power in man to do as he wills or pleases. Collins.
WILLEMITEWil"lem*ite, n. Etym: [From Willem I., king of the Netherlands.](Min.)
Defn: A silicate of zinc, usually occurring massive and of a greenish yellow color, also in reddish crystals (troostite) containing manganese.
WILLERWill"er, n.
Defn: One who wills.
WILLETWil"let, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A large North American snipe (Symphemia semipalmata); — called also pill-willet, will-willet, semipalmated tattler, or snipe, duck snipe, and stone curlew. Carolina willet, the Hudsonian godwit.
WILLFULWill"ful, a. Etym: [Will + full.] Etym: [Written also wilful.]
1. Of set purpose; self-determined; voluntary; as, willful murder. Foxe. In willful poverty chose to lead his life. Chaucer. Thou to me Art all things under heaven, all places thou, Who, for my willful crime, art banished hence. Milton.
2. Governed by the will without yielding to reason; obstinate; perverse; inflexible; stubborn; refractory; as, a willful man or horse. — Will"ful*ly, adv. — Will"ful*ness, n.
WILLIERWil"li*er, n.
Defn: One who works at a willying machine.
WILLINGWill"ing, a. Etym: [From Will, v. t.]
1. Free to do or to grant; having the mind inclined; not opposed in mind; not choosing to refuse; disposed; not averse; desirous; consenting; complying; ready. Felix, willing to show the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound. Acts xxiv. 27. With wearied wings and willing feet. Milton. [Fruit] shaken in August from the willing boughs. Bryant.
2. Received of choice, or without reluctance; submitted to voluntarily; chosen; desired. [They] are held, with his melodious harmony, In willing chains and sweet captivity. Milton.
3. Spontaneous; self-moved. [R.] No spouts of blood run willing from a tree. Dryden.
WILLINGLYWill"ing*ly, adv.
Defn: In a willing manner; with free will; without reluctance;cheerfully. Chaucer.The condition of that people is not so much to be envied as somewould willingly represent it. Addison.
WILLINGNESSWill"ing*ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being willing; free choice or consentof the will; freedom from reluctance; readiness of the mind to do orforbear.Sweet is the love which comes with willingness. Dryden.
WILLIWAW; WILLYWAWWil"li*waw, Wil"ly*waw, n. (Naut.)
Defn: A whirlwind, or whirlwind squall, encountered in the Straits ofMagellan. W. C. Russell.
WILLOCK Wil"lock, n. (Zoöl.) (a) The common guillemot. (b) The puffin. [Prov. Eng.]
WILL-O'-THE-WISPWill"-o'-the-wisp`, n.
Defn: See Ignis fatuus.
WILLOW Wil"low, n. Etym: [OE. wilowe, wilwe, AS. wilig, welig; akin to OD. wilge, D. wilg, LG. wilge. Cf. Willy.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: Any tree or shrub of the genus Salix, including many species, most of which are characterized often used as an emblem of sorrow, desolation, or desertion. "A wreath of willow to show my forsaken plight." Sir W. Scott. Hence, a lover forsaken by, or having lost, the person beloved, is said to wear the willow. And I must wear the willow garland For him that's dead or false to me. Campbell.
2. (Textile Manuf.)
Defn: A machine in which cotton or wool is opened and cleansed by the action of long spikes projecting from a drum which revolves within a box studded with similar spikes; — probably so called from having been originally a cylindrical cage made of willow rods, though some derive the term from winnow, as denoting the winnowing, or cleansing, action of the machine. Called also willy, twilly, twilly devil, and devil. Almond willow, Pussy willow, Weeping willow. (Bot.) See under Almond, Pussy, and Weeping. — Willow biter (Zoöl.) the blue tit. [Prov. Eng.] — Willow fly (Zoöl.), a greenish European stone fly (Chloroperla viridis); — called also yellow Sally. — Willow gall (Zoöl.), a conical, scaly gall produced on willows by the larva of a small dipterous fly (Cecidomyia strobiloides). — Willow grouse (Zoöl.), the white ptarmigan. See ptarmigan. — Willow lark (Zoöl.), the sedge warbler. [Prov. Eng.] — Willow ptarmigan (Zoöl.) (a) The European reed bunting, or black-headed bunting. See under Reed. (b) A sparrow (Passer salicicolus) native of Asia, Africa, and Southern Europe. — Willow tea, the prepared leaves of a species of willow largely grown in the neighborhood of Shanghai, extensively used by the poorer classes of Chinese as a substitute for tea. McElrath. — Willow thrush (Zoöl.), a variety of the veery, or Wilson's thrush. See Veery. — Willow warbler (Zoöl.), a very small European warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus); — called also bee bird, haybird, golden wren, pettychaps, sweet William, Tom Thumb, and willow wren.
WILLOWWil"low, v. t.
Defn: To open and cleanse, as cotton, flax, or wool, by means of a willow. See Willow, n., 2.
WILLOWEDWil"lowed, a.
Defn: Abounding with willows; containing willows; covered or overgrown with willows. "Willowed meads." Collins.
WILLOWERWil"low*er, n.
Defn: A willow. See Willow, n., 2.
WILLOW-HERBWil"low-herb`, n. (Bot.)
Defn: A perennial herb (Epilobium spicatum) with narrow willowlike leaves and showy rose-purple flowers. The name is sometimes made to include other species of the same genus. Spiked willow-herb, a perennial herb (Lythrum Salicaria) with willowy leaves and spiked purplish flowers.
WILLOWISHWil"low*ish, a.
Defn: Having the color of the willow; resembling the willow; willowy.Walton.
WILLOW-THORNWil"low-thorn`, n. (Bot.)
Defn: A thorny European shrub (Hippophaë rhamnoides) resembling a willow.
WILLOW-WEED Wil"low-weed`, n. (Bot.) (a) A European species of loosestrife (Lysimachia vulgaris). (b) Any kind of Polygonum with willowlike foliage.
WILLOW-WORT Wil"low-wort`, n. (Bot.) (a) Same as Willow-weed. (b) Any plant of the order Salicaceæ, or the Willow family.
WILLOWYWil"low*y, a.
1. Abounding with willows. Where willowy Camus lingers with delight. Gray.
2. Resembling a willow; pliant; flexible; pendent; drooping; graceful.
WILLSOMEWill"some, a. Etym: [Written also wilsome.]
1. Willful; obstinate. [Obs.]
2. Fat; indolent. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
3. Doubtful; uncertain. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.— Will"some*ness, n. [Obs.]
WILLYWil"ly, n. Etym: [Cf. Willow.]
1. A large wicker basket. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
2. (Textile Manuf.)
Defn: Same as 1st Willow, 2.
WILLYINGWil"ly*ing, n.
Defn: The process of cleansing wool, cotton, or the like, with a willy, or willow. Willying machine. Same as 1st Willow, 2
WILLY NILLYWil"ly nil"ly.
Defn: See Will I, nill I, etc., under 3d Will.
WILNEWil"ne, v. t. Etym: [AS. wilnian.]
Defn: To wish; to desire. [Obs.] "He willneth no destruction."Chaucer.
WILTWilt,
Defn: 2d pers. sing. of Will.
WILT Wilt, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Wilting.] Etym: [Written also welt, a modification of welk.]
Defn: To begin to wither; to lose freshness and become flaccid, as a plant when exposed when exposed to drought, or to great heat in a dry day, or when separated from its root; to droop;. to wither. [Prov. Eng. & U. S.]
WILTWilt, v. t.
1. To cause to begin to wither; to make flaccid, as a green plant. [Prov. Eng. U. S.]
2. Hence, to cause to languish; to depress or destroy the vigor and energy of. [Prov. Eng. & U. S.] Despots have wilted the human race into sloth and imbecility. Dr. T. Dwight.
WILTON CARPETWil"ton car`pet.
Defn: A kind of carpet woven with loops like the Brussels, but differing from it in having the loops cut so as to form an elastic velvet pile; — so called because made originally at Wilton, England.
WILWEWil"we, n.
Defn: Willow. [Obs.] Chaucer.
WILYWil"y, a. [Compar. Wilier; superl. Wiliest.] Etym: [From Wile.]
Defn: Full of wiles, tricks, or stratagems; using craft or stratagem to accomplish a purpose; mischievously artful; subtle. "Wily and wise." Chaucer. "The wily snake." Milton. This false, wily, doubling disposition of mind. South.
Syn.— Cunning; artful; sly; crafty. See Cunning.
WIMBLE Wim"ble, n. Etym: [OE. wimbil; akin to Dan. vimmel, OD. wemelen to bore. Cf. Gimlet.]
Defn: An instrument for boring holes, turned by a handle. Specifically: (a) A gimlet. " It is but like the little wimble, to let in the greater auger." Selden. (b) A stonecutter's brace for boring holes in stone. (c) An auger used for boring in earth.
WIMBLEWim"ble, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wimbled; p. pr. & vb. n. Wimbling.]
Defn: To bore or pierce, as with a wimble. "A foot soldier . . . wimbled also a hole through said coffin." Wood.
WIMBLE Wim"ble, a. Etym: [Cf. Sw. vimmelkantig giddy, whimsical, dial. Sw. vimmla to be giddy or skittish, and E. whim.]
Defn: Active; nimble.[Obs.] Spenser.
WIMBRELWim"brel, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The whimbrel.
WIMPLE Wim"ple, n. Etym: [OE. wimpel, AS. winpel; akin to D. & G. wimpel a pennant, streamer, OHG. wimpal a veil, Icel. vimpill, Dan. & Sw. vimpel a pennant, streamer; of uncertain origin. Cf. Gimp.]
1. A covering of silk, linen, or other material, for the neck and chin, formerly worn by women as an outdoor protection, and still retained in the dress of nuns. Full seemly her wympel ipinched is. Chaucer. For she had laid her mournful stole aside, And widowlike sad wimple thrown away. Spenser. Then Vivian rose, And from her brown-locked head the wimple throws. M. Arnold.
2. A flag or streamer. Weale.
WIMPLEWim"ple, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wimpled; p. pr. & vb. n. Wimpling.]
1. To clothe with a wimple; to cover, as with a veil; hence, to hoodwink. "She sat ywympled well." Chaucer. This wimpled, whining, purblind, wayward boy. Shak.
2. To draw down, as a veil; to lay in folds or plaits, as a veil.
3. To cause to appear as if laid in folds or plaits; to cause to ripple or undulate; as, the wind wimples the surface of water.
WIMPLEWim"ple, v. i.
Defn: To lie in folds; also, to appear as if laid in folds or plaits; to ripple; to undulate. "Wimpling waves." Longfellow. For with a veil, that wimpled everywhere, Her head and face was hid. Spenser. With me through . . . meadows stray, Where wimpling waters make their way. Ramsay.
WINWin, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Won, Obs. Wan (; p. pr. & vb. n. Winning.]Etym: [OE. winnen, AS. winnan to strive, labor, fight, endure; akinto OFries. winna, OS. winnan, D. winnen to win, gain, G. gewinnen,OHG. winnan to strive, struggle, Icel. vinna to labor, suffer, win,Dan. vinde to win, Sw. vinna, Goth. winnan to suffer, Skr.van towish, get, gain, conquer. sq. root138. Cf. Venerate, Winsome, Wish,Wont, a.]
1. To gain by superiority in competition or contest; to obtain by victory over competitors or rivals; as, to win the prize in a gate; to win money; to win a battle, or to win a country. "This city for to win." Chaucer. "Who thus shall Canaan win." Milton. Thy well-breathed horse Impels the flying car, and wins the course. Dryden.
2. To allure to kindness; to bring to compliance; to gain or obtain, as by solicitation or courtship. Thy virtue wan me; with virtue preserve me. Sir P. Sidney. She is a woman; therefore to be won. Shak.
3. To gain over to one's side or party; to obtain the favor, friendship, or support of; to render friendly or approving; as, to win an enemy; to win a jury.
4. To come to by toil or effort; to reach; to overtake. [Archaic] Even in the porch he him did win. Spenser. And when the stony path began, By which the naked peak they wan, Up flew the snowy ptarmigan. Sir W. Scott.
5. (Mining)
Defn: To extract, as ore or coal. Raymond.
Syn.— To gain; get; procure; earn. See Gain.
WINWin, v. i.
Defn: To gain the victory; to be successful; to triumph; to prevail. Nor is it aught but just That he, who in debate of truth hath won, should win in arms. Milton. To win of, to be conqueror over. [Obs.] Shak. — To win on or upon. (a) To gain favor or influence with. "You have a softness and beneficence winning on the hearts of others." Dryden. (b) To gain ground on. "The rabble . . . will in time win upon power." Shak.
WINCE Wince, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Winced; p. pr. & vb. n. Wincing.] Etym: [OE. wincen, winchen, OF. quencir, guenchir, guenchier, giencier, guinchier, and (assumed) winchier, winchir, to give way, to turn aside, fr. OHG. wankjan, wenken, to give way, to waver, fr. winchan to turn aside, to nod, akin to E. wink. See Wink.]
1. To shrink, as from a blow, or from pain; to flinch; to start back. I will not stir, nor wince, nor speak a word. Shak.
2. To kick or flounce when unsteady, or impatient at a rider; as, a horse winces.
WINCEWince, n.
Defn: The act of one who winces.
WINCEWince, n. Etym: [See Winch.] (Dyeing & Calico Printing)
Defn: A reel used in dyeing, steeping, or washing cloth; a winch. It is placed over the division wall between two wince pits so as to allow the cloth to descend into either compartment. at will. Wince pit, Wince pot, a tank or a pit where cloth in the process of dyeing or manufacture is washed, dipped in a mordant, or the like.
WINCERWin"cer, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, winces, shrinks, or kicks.
WINCEYWin"cey, n.
Defn: Linsey-woolsey.
WINCHWinch, v. i. Etym: [See Wince.]
Defn: To wince; to shrink; to kick with impatience or uneasiness.
WINCHWinch, n.
Defn: A kick, as of a beast, from impatience or uneasiness. Shelton.
WINCH Winch, n. Etym: [OE. winche, AS. wince a winch, a reel to wind thread upon. Cf. Wink.]
1. A crank with a handle, for giving motion to a machine, a grindstone, etc.
2. An instrument with which to turn or strain something forcibly.
3. An axle or drum turned by a crank with a handle, or by power, for raising weights, as from the hold of a ship, from mines, etc.; a windlass.
4. A wince.
WINCINGWin"cing, n.
Defn: The act of washing cloth, dipping it in dye, etc., with a wince. Wincing machine. (a) A wince. Ure. (b) A succession of winces. See Wince. Knight.
WINCOPIPEWin"co*pipe, n. (Bot.)
Defn: A little red flower, no doubt the pimpernel, which, when it opens in the morning, is supposed to bode a fair day. See Pimpernel. There is small red flower in the stubble fields, which country people call the wincopipe; which if it opens in the morning, you may be sure a fair day will follow. Bacon.
WIND Wind, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wound (wound) (rarely Winded); p. pr. & vb. n. Winding.] Etym: [OE. winden, AS. windan; akin to OS. windan, D. & G. winden, OHG. wintan, Icel. & Sw. vinda, Dan. vinde, Goth. windan (in comp.). Cf. Wander, Wend.]
1. To turn completely, or with repeated turns; especially, to turn about something fixed; to cause to form convolutions about anything; to coil; to twine; to twist; to wreathe; as, to wind thread on a spool or into a ball. Whether to wind The woodbine round this arbor. Milton.
2. To entwist; to infold; to encircle. Sleep, and I will wind thee in arms. Shak.
3. To have complete control over; to turn and bend at one's pleasure; to vary or alter or will; to regulate; to govern. "To turn and wind a fiery Pegasus." Shak. In his terms so he would him wind. Chaucer. Gifts blind the wise, and bribes do please And wind all other witnesses. Herrick. Were our legislature vested in the prince, he might wind and turn our constitution at his pleasure. Addison.
4. To introduce by insinuation; to insinuate. You have contrived . . . to wind Yourself into a power tyrannical. Shak. Little arts and dexterities they have to wind in such things into discourse. Gov. of Tongue.
5. To cover or surround with something coiled about; as, to wind a rope with twine. To wind off, to unwind; to uncoil. — To wind out, to extricate. [Obs.] Clarendon. — To wind up. (a) To coil into a ball or small compass, as a skein of thread; to coil completely. (b) To bring to a conclusion or settlement; as, to wind up one's affairs; to wind up an argument. (c) To put in a state of renewed or continued motion, as a clock, a watch, etc., by winding the spring, or that which carries the weight; hence, to prepare for continued movement or action; to put in order anew. "Fate seemed to wind him up for fourscore years." Dryden. "Thus they wound up his temper to a pitch." Atterbury. (d) To tighten (the strings) of a musical instrument, so as to tune it. "Wind up the slackened strings of thy lute." Waller.
WINDWind, v. i.
1. To turn completely or repeatedly; to become coiled about anything; to assume a convolved or spiral form; as, vines wind round a pole. So swift your judgments turn and wind. Dryden.
2. To have a circular course or direction; to crook; to bend; to meander; as, to wind in and out among trees. And where the valley winded out below, The murmuring main was heard, and scarcely heard, to flow. Thomson. He therefore turned him to the steep and rocky path which . . . winded through the thickets of wild boxwood and other low aromatic shrubs. Sir W. Scott.
3. To go to the one side or the other; to move this way and that; to double on one's course; as, a hare pursued turns and winds. The lowing herd wind Gray. To wind out, to extricate one's self; to escape. Long struggling underneath are they could wind Out of such prison. Milton.
WINDWind, n.
Defn: The act of winding or turning; a turn; a bend; a twist; a winding.
WIND Wind (wînd, in poetry and singing often wind; 277), n. Etym: [AS. wind; akin to OS., OFries., D., & G. wind, OHG. wint, Dan. & Sw. vind, Icel. vindr, Goth winds, W. gwynt, L. ventus, Skr. vata (cf. Gr. 'ah`ths a blast, gale, 'ah^nai to breathe hard, to blow, as the wind); originally a p. pr. from the verb seen in Skr. va to blow, akin to AS. wawan, D. waaijen, G. wehen, OHG. waen, wajen, Goth. waian. sq. root131. Cf. Air, Ventail, Ventilate, Window, Winnow.]
1. Air naturally in motion with any degree of velocity; a current of air. Except wind stands as never it stood, It is an ill wind that turns none to good. Tusser . Winds were soft, and woods were green. Longfellow.
2. Air artificially put in motion by any force or action; as, the wind of a cannon ball; the wind of a bellows.
3. Breath modulated by the respiratory and vocal organs, or by an instrument. Their instruments were various in their kind, Some for the bow, and some for breathing wind. Dryden.
4. Power of respiration; breath. If my wind were but long enough to say my prayers, I would repent. Shak.
5. Air or gas generated in the stomach or bowels; flatulence; as, to be troubled with wind.
6. Air impregnated with an odor or scent. A pack of dogfish had him in the wind. Swift.
7. A direction from which the wind may blow; a point of the compass; especially, one of the cardinal points, which are often called the four winds. Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain. Ezek. xxxvii. 9.
Note: This sense seems to have had its origin in the East. TheHebrews gave to each of the four cardinal points the name of wind.
8. (Far.)
Defn: A disease of sheep, in which the intestines are distended with air, or rather affected with a violent inflammation. It occurs immediately after shearing.
9. Mere breath or talk; empty effort; idle words. Nor think thou with wind Of airy threats to awe. Milton.
10. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The dotterel. [Prov. Eng.]
Note: Wind is often used adjectively, or as the first part of compound words. All in the wind. (Naut.) See under All, n. — Before the wind. (Naut.) See under Before. — Between wind and water (Naut.), in that part of a ship's side or bottom which is frequently brought above water by the rolling of the ship, or fluctuation of the water's surface. Hence, colloquially, (as an injury to that part of a vessel, in an engagement, is particularly dangerous) the vulnerable part or point of anything. — Cardinal winds. See under Cardinal, a. — Down the wind. (a) In the direction of, and moving with, the wind; as, birds fly swiftly down the wind. (b) Decaying; declining; in a state of decay. [Obs.] "He went down the wind still." L'Estrange. — In the wind's eye (Naut.), directly toward the point from which the wind blows. — Three sheets in the wind, unsteady from drink. [Sailors' Slang] - - To be in the wind, to be suggested or expected; to be a matter of suspicion or surmise. [Colloq.] — To carry the wind (Man.), to toss the nose as high as the ears, as a horse. — To raise the wind, to procure money. [Colloq.] — To take, or have, the wind, to gain or have the advantage. Bacon. — To take the wind out of one's sails, to cause one to stop, or lose way, as when a vessel intercepts the wind of another. [Colloq.] — To take wind, or To get wind, to be divulged; to become public; as, the story got wind, or took wind. — Wind band (Mus.), a band of wind instruments; a military band; the wind instruments of an orchestra. — Wind chest (Mus.), a chest or reservoir of wind in an organ. — Wind dropsy. (Med.) (a) Tympanites. (b) Emphysema of the subcutaneous areolar tissue. — Wind egg, an imperfect, unimpregnated, or addled egg. — Wind furnace. See the Note under Furnace. — Wind gauge. See under Gauge. — Wind gun. Same as Air gun. — Wind hatch (Mining), the opening or place where the ore is taken out of the earth. — Wind instrument (Mus.), an instrument of music sounded by means of wind, especially by means of the breath, as a flute, a clarinet, etc. — Wind pump, a pump moved by a windmill. — Wind rose, a table of the points of the compass, giving the states of the barometer, etc., connected with winds from the different directions. — Wind sail. (a) (Naut.) A wide tube or funnel of canvas, used to convey a stream of air for ventilation into the lower compartments of a vessel. (b) The sail or vane of a windmill. — Wind shake, a crack or incoherence in timber produced by violent winds while the timber was growing. — Wind shock, a wind shake. — Wind side, the side next the wind; the windward side. [R.] Mrs. Browning. — Wind rush (Zoöl.), the redwing. [Prov. Eng.] — Wind wheel, a motor consisting of a wheel moved by wind. — Wood wind (Mus.), the flutes and reed instruments of an orchestra, collectively.
WINDWind, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Winded; p. pr. & vb. n. Winding.]
1. To expose to the wind; to winnow; to ventilate.
2. To perceive or follow by the scent; to scent; to nose; as, the hounds winded the game.
3. (a) To drive hard, or force to violent exertion, as a horse, so as to render scant of wind; to put out of breath. (b) To rest, as a horse, in order to allow the breath to be recovered; to breathe. To wind a ship (Naut.), to turn it end for end, so that the wind strikes it on the opposite side.
WINDWind, v. t. Etym: [From Wind, moving air, but confused in sense andin conjugation with wind to turn.] [imp. & p. p. Wound (wound), R.Winded; p. pr. & vb. n. Winding.]
Defn: To blow; to sound by blowing; esp., to sound with prolonged andmutually involved notes. "Hunters who wound their horns." Pennant.Ye vigorous swains, while youth ferments your blood, . . . Wind theshrill horn. Pope.That blast was winded by the king. Sir W. Scott.
WINDAGEWind"age, n. Etym: [From Wind air in motion.]
1. (Gun.)
Defn: The difference between the diameter of the bore of a gun and that of the shot fired from it.
2. The sudden compression of the air caused by a projectile in passing close to another body.
WINDASWind"as, n.
Defn: See 3d Windlass. [Obs.] Chaucer.
WINDBOREWind"bore`, n.
Defn: The lower, or bottom, pipe in a lift of pumps in a mine.Ansted.
WINDBOUNDWind"bound`, a. (Naut.)
Defn: prevented from sailing, by a contrary wind. See Weatherbound.
WIND-BREAKWind"-break`, v. t.
Defn: To break the wind of; to cause to lose breath; to exhaust. [R.]'T would wind-break a mule to vie burdens with her. Ford.
WIND-BREAKWind"-break`, n.
Defn: A clump of trees serving for a protection against the force of wind. [Local, U. S.]
WIND-BROKENWind"-bro`ken, a.
Defn: Having the power of breathing impaired by the rupture, dilatation, or running together of air cells of the lungs, so that while the inspiration is by one effort, the expiration is by two; affected with pulmonary emphysema or with heaves; — said of a horse. Youatt.
WINDERWind"er, n. Etym: [From Wind to turn.]
1. One who, or that which, winds; hence, a creeping or winding plant.
2. An apparatus used for winding silk, cotton, etc., on spools, bobbins, reels, or the like.
3. (Arch.)
Defn: One in a flight of steps which are curved in plan, so that each tread is broader at one end than at the other; — distinguished from flyer.
WINDERWind"er, v. t. & i. Etym: [Prov. E. winder a fan, and to winnow.Winnow.]
Defn: To fan; to clean grain with a fan. [Prov. Eng.]
WINDERWind"er, n.
Defn: A blow taking away the breath. [Slang]
WINDERWind"er, v. i.
Defn: To wither; to fail. [Obs.] Holland.
WINDFALLWind"fall`, n.
1. Anything blown down or off by the wind, as fruit from a tree, or the tree itself, or a portion of a forest prostrated by a violent wind, etc. "They became a windfall upon the sudden." Bacon.
2. An unexpected legacy, or other gain. He had a mighty windfall out of doubt. B. Jonson.
WINDFALLENWind"fall`en, a.
Defn: Blown down by the wind.
WIND-FERTILIZEDWind"-fer`ti*lized, a. (Bot.)
Defn: Anemophilous; fertilized by pollen borne by the wind.
WINDFLOWERWind"flow`er, n. (Bot.)
Defn: The anemone; — so called because formerly supposed to open only when the wind was blowing. See Anemone.
WINDGALLWind"gall`, n. (Far.)
Defn: A soft tumor or synovial swelling on the fetlock joint of a horse; — so called from having formerly been supposed to contain air.
WINDHOVERWind"hov`er, n. Etym: [From its habit of hovering over one spot.](Zoöl.)
Defn: The kestrel; — called also windbibber, windcuffer, windfanner.[Prov. Eng.]